I am helping a friend reinstall her Compaq desktop. Sorry, I do not know the model number, but it is a version that came with the "Restore CD" and HD partition. I do not believe it came with a true OS CD.

If i wanted to install XP onto a new HD (actually, the same HD, but with the partitions destroyed), could I use a generic OEM XP CD with the Compaq CD Key number on the sticker on the case?

Also, she was not sure if she had the MS Works CD's, but it was preinstalled on the machine. She would LIKE it reinstalled as well. Shouldn't she have these CD's or could they get by just including it on the restore partition as well?

If she REALLY wants Works, and she does not have the CD's, then I guess I will use the restore partition.

PKIf there's a restore partition, why use the XP CD? Just reinstall from the partition.Because I really did not want all that junk that comes with a "factory restore."

pkSome restores have options for letting you select what it installs, have you checked that?

If not, simple enough, uninstall the garbage you don't want after the restore is complete.You may want to visit the Compaq website for instructions on creating the restore CD from the hidden partition...
Reason being is all your drivers are there as well.
On some restore CD's you can just find setup.exe in the i386 folder which will just install XP.
I've done this with some success in the past.
And if the machine shipped with Office you simply do the same from the Office folder.Hmmm...interesting Patio. I may need to look into that. I went ahead with the Restore. Luckily, there really wasn't too much crapware on there. I was pleasantly surprised.


OK, new question about this system. RIGHT now it only has 256 MB of RAM (PC133). It can only support 512 MB and has just two RAM slots. I have several 128 MB sticks of RAM laying around, but it is all PC100. I know that these are fairly interchangable, but won't adding the PC100 clock the PC133 down to 100 also? I would think there would still be a benefit in adding 128 MB of RAM.

I have PCWizard installed, so I can tell you WHATEVER you need to know about the mobo and chipset.

I don't want to mess up her system, though she is considering an upgrade to new system for Christmas. This one would become a hand me down to her son.

PKYes it will DROP the other RAM down to PC100... so it's a TRADEOFF. But it would still be a little better with the additional RAM.
Travel to Crucial's site and enter the info to make sure it will run on the PC100 first though.Yeah, I did that, but all it shows is 133.

The Crucial tech said that if the system boots and sees all the RAM, I should be OK.

pkI wish we knew what model of Compaq we were talking about...... Oops, I thought I mentioned it...I guess that was in another forum.

It is a Presario 5410US.

PKWhere is the RAM being reported as 133 ? ?I no longer have the PC in my possesion, but I am pretty sure that the RAM itself was labeled as PC133 and thats also was PC Wizard detected. That is also what Crucial says is the guaranteed compatible.

pkNot a problem...but just so you know if you install PC100 RAM along with PC133 the PC133 may still be reported at it's correct speed.
However it will run at the slower speed no matter what.